3d-marigold-like barium-modified zinc oxide for antibacterial and anticancer studies

A chemical process involving multiple steps is often accounts for the loss of yield and longer reaction time. Herein, we explored a one-pot precipitation method to overcome these issues to produce barium-doped zinc oxide (BaZnO) with a 3 d-marigold like structure (MGS). The virgin ZnO was also prepared to compare its physicochemical and biological properties. The structural integrity of the prepared materials was determined using analytical tools such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), and photoluminescence spectroscopy. As a proof-of-concept, these materials have been utilized in biomedical applications. The BaZnO MGS exhibited the highest antibacterial activity compared with the ZnO NF. The anticancer activities of ZnO NF and BaZnO MGS were evaluated in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Among them, BaZnO MGS NPs demonstrated the most significant anticancer properties, with the lowest IC₅₀ value exhibits of 21.2 μg/mL compared to ZnO NF. These findings suggest that the BaZnO MGS is a promising candidate for biomedical applications, potentially enhancing human life through its antibacterial and anticancer properties.